SomeBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE TURN WAS GONNA END SOON. SO I JUST TAPPED OBEKA INSTEAAAAAAD!
Apologies y'all, but I had to do it.
One of Commander Legends' most talked-about commanders is also one of the most difficult to build around: Obeka, Brute Chronologist. Her flavor text and Sundial of the Infinite ability immediately drew in casual and competitive players alike.
Only a month later has begun taking over on cEDH tables, and jank-loving players can't get enough of her. Obeka is the "every player's" commander. Let's get to brewing.
In order for us to even toy with Obeka, Brute Chronologist, we need to understand the Stack. Even seasoned Magic players find the stack is wonky at times, but understanding it is integral to get the most from Obeka's ability.
Spells and abilities are put on the stack before they resolve, meaning whenever you play a spell or activate an ability, there's time for players to respond. These responses stack up (kind of like a tower of cards) and resolve from top to bottom.
An example would be if I cast Terminate to destroy your creature. In response, you sacrifice your creature with your Ashnod's Altar. The sacrifice activation is on top of the stack, and resolves first. My Terminate will then resolve after the fact and fizzle, since there are no targets.
This matters to Obeka, Brute Chronologist, because her ability can nullify everything on the stack. When her ability resolves, the player whose turn it is can choose to end the turn. If they do, everything that's currently on the stack goes away—it's exiled. Simultaneously, any effects that normally trigger when the turn ends are skipped. That means the most straightforward way to use Obeka is to nullify the drawbacks on our own cards, especially those that trigger on our end step.
While we don't condone cheating in Magic, cheating out creatures in our deck is actually encouraged. It feels pretty good to pay significantly less mana for a big beefy creature that doesn't disappear at our end step. Thanks to Obeka, Brute Chronologist nullifying the stack, we can keep around creatures that normally wouldn't last a whole turn.
Which creatures are those?
Phyrexian Dreadnought, Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, and Eater of Days are a few examples. They are incredibly high powered, and to balance their low mana costs, WotC gave them each significant drawbacks. Thanks to Obeka, Brute Chronologist, those drawbacks are void. Suddenly we have a 12/12 and a 9/8 with flying with zero consequences.
However, these cards only scratch the surface of our ability to cheat out creatures.
Sedris, the Traitor King is so insanely cool and fun and remains a huge part of my Magic nostalgia. Obeka, Brute Chronologist is becoming well-known in the commander community as a bonkers commander. Eventually people will grow wise to our shenanigans and target us and our creatures. Thanks to Sedris, we can get back our dearly departed beefy beaters.
However, if we are unable to get them from the graveyard, we can still get token copies of them thanks to our next cool card: Feldon of the Third Path. Just tap Obeka, Brute Chronologist to end the turn, thus skipping our end step. No sacrifices will be made on our battlefield, no sir! We get our scarier creatures back for a cool three mana.
Another way to cheat out cards is to just blatantly steal them from our opponents. Cards like Zara, Renegade Recruiter, Coercive Recruiter, and Puppeteer Clique pair well with Obeka, Brute Chronologist mastery of the stack. Stealing creatures from the graveyard or someone's hand is a great way to add a bit of salt to the game and heavy hitters or blockers to our side of the board.
Another such card is Hate Mirage. While we aren't exactly stealing the creatures, we're copying them, which is just as annoying. You played an Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger? Well so did I! Whether they are entering the battlefield or simply attacking, all we have to do is rely on Obeka, Brute Chronologist ability to keep what we steal. Obeka may be a Wizard, but she's a pirate at heart.
What's better than one creature? Two creatures! Flameshadow Conjuring allows us to create a token copy of a creature that just entered the battlefield. Normally, these tokens would be exiled at our end step. However, thanks to Obeka, Brute Chronologist, we get twice the power with no drawback.
Our final piece of creature cheats is Sneak Attack. This card elicits groans and fearful looks in games of Commander, and in Obeka, Brute Chronologist, these groans are tenfold. A one-mana Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker with haste that doesn't get sacrificed at our end step is pretty gnarly, and helps us get to our infinite tokens combo even faster!
Extra turns are incredibly fun in any game of commander… well, at least for those who get them. We run three extra-turn cards that allow us to have fun with the stack.
"But why these extra-turn spells, Chase? They have so much risk attached to them. Why can't we run other extra-turn spells like Capture of Jingzhou or Nexus of Fate?"
Well, we could run those cards in place of our extra turn spells, but we run Warrior's Oath and Last Chance due to their incredibly low converted mana cost. Taking an extra turn for two mana as opposed to seven makes a huge difference in how the tides turn in a game of Commander. Obeka, Brute Chronologist eliminates any scary "you lose the game" drawback.
However, it should be noted that these cards are incredibly expensive. You can swap them for more budget-friendly cards that grant extra turns, and thankfully, nearly every card with that effect is within Obeka's color identity
"But Chase, you said we are running three of these cheap extra-turn spells! You only named two!"
Correct! Our third and final extra-turn spell actually falls into this article's next section.
Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Stop, Ogre Time by Chase Carroll
'Stop, Ogre Time' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!
Created By: Chase Carroll
Event:
Rank:
Commander
Market Price: $1272.09
Puppeteer Clique
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $6.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/140013_200w.jpg
Flying When Puppeteer Clique enters the battlefield, put target creature card from an opponent's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. It gains haste. At the beginning of your next end step, exile it. Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/puppeteer-clique
Coercive Recruiter
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.33
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227022_200w.jpg
Whenever Coercive Recruiter or another Pirate enters the battlefield under your control, gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. Until end of turn, it gains haste and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/coercive-recruiter
Evolving Wilds
Market Price: $0.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227330_200w.jpg
{T}, Sacrifice Evolving Wilds: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/evolving-wilds
Fabled Passage
Market Price: $7.82
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/215556_200w.jpg
{T}, Sacrifice Fabled Passage: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Then if you control four or more lands, untap that land.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2021/fabled-passage
Deceiver Exarch
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.33
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/132012_200w.jpg
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) When Deceiver Exarch enters the battlefield, choose one — • Untap target permanent you control. • Tap target permanent an opponent controls.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-anthology/deceiver-exarch
Vandalblast
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $6.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/108061_200w.jpg
Destroy target artifact you don't control.
Overload {4}{R} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2015/vandalblast
Zara, Renegade Recruiter
Color Identity:R,U
Market Price: $0.38
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/226638_200w.jpg
Flying Whenever Zara, Renegade Recruiter attacks, look at defending player's hand. You may put a creature card from it onto the battlefield under your control tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker they control. Return that creature to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/zara-renegade-recruiter
Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $2.46
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/206652_200w.jpg
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to red is less than five, Purphoros isn't a creature.
Other creatures you control have haste.
{2}{R}: You may put a red creature card or an artifact creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros-beyond-death/purphoros-bronze-blooded
Steam Vents
Color Identity:R,U
Market Price: $9.86
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/175202_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {U} or {R}.)
As Steam Vents enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/guilds-of-ravnica/steam-vents
Nightscape Familiar
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.61
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/132251_200w.jpg
Blue spells and red spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
{1}{B}: Regenerate Nightscape Familiar.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/archenemy-nicol-bolas/nightscape-familiar
Insurrection
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $11.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/47459_200w.jpg
Untap all creatures and gain control of them until end of turn. They gain haste until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander/insurrection
Eater of Days
Market Price: $1.40
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/11593_200w.jpg
Flying, trample When Eater of Days enters the battlefield, you skip your next two turns.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/darksteel/eater-of-days
Scalding Tarn
Market Price: $56.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/128282_200w.jpg
{T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Scalding Tarn: Search your library for an Island or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters-2017/scalding-tarn
Hullbreacher
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $24.52
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227006_200w.jpg
Flash
If an opponent would draw a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, instead you create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.")Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/hullbreacher
Alexi's Cloak
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.29
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/7267_200w.jpg
Flash Enchant creature Enchanted creature has shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/prophecy/alexis-cloak
Mountain
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.33
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230467_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {R}.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/mountain
Bloodstained Mire
Market Price: $26.92
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/92830_200w.jpg
{T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Bloodstained Mire: Search your library for a Swamp or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/khans-of-tarkir/bloodstained-mire
Blood Crypt
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $16.99
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182838_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {B} or {R}.)
As Blood Crypt enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/blood-crypt
Pestermite
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.49
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/68331_200w.jpg
Flash Flying When Pestermite enters the battlefield, you may tap or untap target permanent.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters/pestermite
Island
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.23
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230465_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {U}.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/island
Crumbling Necropolis
Color Identity:B,R,U
Market Price: $0.27
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/140081_200w.jpg
Crumbling Necropolis enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {U}, {B}, or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/crumbling-necropolis
Sundial of the Infinite
Market Price: $8.22
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/47648_200w.jpg
{1}, {T}: End the turn. Activate this ability only during your turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack. Discard down to your maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/magic-2012-m12/sundial-of-the-infinite
Demonic Tutor
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $46.77
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/179462_200w.jpg
Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ultimate-masters/demonic-tutor
Psychic Vortex
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $15.89
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6086_200w.jpg
Cumulative upkeep—Draw a card. (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.) At the beginning of your end step, sacrifice a land and discard your hand.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/weatherlight/psychic-vortex
Minamo, School at Water's Edge
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $16.52
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/12093_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {U}.
{U}, {T}: Untap target legendary permanent.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/champions-of-kamigawa/minamo-school-at-waters-edge
Swamp
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.16
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230466_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {B}.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/swamp
Intruder Alarm
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $7.67
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/11046_200w.jpg
Creatures don't untap during their controllers' untap steps. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, untap all creatures.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/8th-edition/intruder-alarm
Negate
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.12
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/222130_200w.jpg
Counter target noncreature spell.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/zendikar-rising/negate
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $15.79
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/145482_200w.jpg
Haste
{T}: Create a token that's a copy of target nonlegendary creature you control, except it has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/iconic-masters/kiki-jiki-mirror-breaker
Notion Thief
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $0.86
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/222408_200w.jpg
Flash If an opponent would draw a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, instead that player skips that draw and you draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-zendikar-rising/notion-thief
Sol Ring
Market Price: $2.32
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231261_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}{C}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/sol-ring
Arcane Denial
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.72
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227098_200w.jpg
Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/arcane-denial
Panharmonicon
Market Price: $11.90
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/122664_200w.jpg
If an artifact or creature entering the battlefield causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaladesh/panharmonicon
Diplomatic Immunity
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.82
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6511_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Shroud (A permanent with shroud can't be the target of spells or abilities.) Enchanted creature has shroud.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/mercadian-masques/diplomatic-immunity
Cyclonic Rift
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $21.94
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218370_200w.jpg
Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand.
Overload {6}{U} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/cyclonic-rift
Pongify
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $2.54
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/233899_200w.jpg
Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Ape creature token.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/time-spiral-remastered/pongify
Clearwater Pathway
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $4.78
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/221830_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {U}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/zendikar-rising/clearwater-pathway
Obeka, Brute Chronologist
Color Identity:B,R,U
Market Price: $0.49
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/226870_200w.jpg
{T}: The player whose turn it is may end the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack. The player whose turn it is discards down to their maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/obeka-brute-chronologist
Rhystic Study
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $31.88
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/216235_200w.jpg
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may draw a card unless that player pays {1}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/jumpstart/rhystic-study
Sedris, the Traitor King
Color Identity:B,R,U
Market Price: $21.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/27793_200w.jpg
Each creature card in your graveyard has unearth {2}{B}. ({2}{B}: Return the card to the battlefield. The creature gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/shards-of-alara/sedris-the-traitor-king
Hate Mirage
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.12
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196755_200w.jpg
Choose up to two target creatures you don't control. For each of those creatures, create a token that's a copy of that creature. Those tokens gain haste. Exile them at the beginning of the next end step.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2019/hate-mirage
Fellwar Stone
Market Price: $6.04
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/166806_200w.jpg
{T}: Add one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-anthology-volume-ii/fellwar-stone
Dragonskull Summit
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $4.04
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/142035_200w.jpg
Dragonskull Summit enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Swamp or a Mountain.
{T}: Add {B} or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ixalan/dragonskull-summit
Training Center
Color Identity:R,U
Market Price: $7.89
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/221359_200w.jpg
Training Center enters the battlefield tapped unless you have two or more opponents.
{T}: Add {U} or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/training-center
Discontinuity
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $1.75
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/215672_200w.jpg
As long as it's your turn, this spell costs {2}{U}{U} less to cast.
End the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack, including this card. The player whose turn it is discards down to their maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2021/discontinuity
Blightstep Pathway
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $4.01
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/229209_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {B}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/blightstep-pathway
Warrior's Oath
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $218.54
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/558_200w.jpg
Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/portal-three-kingdoms/warriors-oath
Leveler
Market Price: $2.14
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/11508_200w.jpg
When Leveler enters the battlefield, exile all cards from your library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/mirrodin/leveler
Barrin, Master Wizard
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $43.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6792_200w.jpg
{2}, Sacrifice a permanent: Return target creature to its owner's hand.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/urzas-saga/barrin-master-wizard
Dockside Extortionist
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $41.16
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196486_200w.jpg
When Dockside Extortionist enters the battlefield, create X Treasure tokens, where X is the number of artifacts and enchantments your opponents control. (Treasure tokens are artifacts with "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.")Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2019/dockside-extortionist
Bojuka Bog
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $1.62
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212363_200w.jpg
Bojuka Bog enters the battlefield tapped.
When Bojuka Bog enters the battlefield, exile all cards from target player's graveyard.
{T}: Add {B}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/bojuka-bog
Zealous Conscripts
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $2.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/128929_200w.jpg
Haste When Zealous Conscripts enters the battlefield, gain control of target permanent until end of turn. Untap that permanent. It gains haste until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters-2017/zealous-conscripts
Polluted Delta
Market Price: $28.32
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/92829_200w.jpg
{T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Polluted Delta: Search your library for an Island or Swamp card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/khans-of-tarkir/polluted-delta
Counterspell
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $2.06
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227096_200w.jpg
Counter target spell.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/counterspell
Lightning Greaves
Market Price: $4.28
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218837_200w.jpg
Equipped creature has haste and shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Equip {0}Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/lightning-greaves
Tribute Mage
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.62
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/191210_200w.jpg
When Tribute Mage enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card with converted mana cost 2, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-horizons/tribute-mage
Sulfur Falls
Color Identity:R,U
Market Price: $3.81
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/162122_200w.jpg
Sulfur Falls enters the battlefield tapped unless you control an Island or a Mountain.
{T}: Add {U} or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/dominaria/sulfur-falls
Drowned Catacomb
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $5.90
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/142036_200w.jpg
Drowned Catacomb enters the battlefield tapped unless you control an Island or a Swamp.
{T}: Add {U} or {B}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ixalan/drowned-catacomb
Fierce Guardianship
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $36.46
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212218_200w.jpg
If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost. Counter target noncreature spell.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/fierce-guardianship
Swiftfoot Boots
Market Price: $1.77
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231281_200w.jpg
Equipped creature has hexproof and haste.
Equip {1}Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/swiftfoot-boots
Imprisoned in the Moon
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $3.03
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/120434_200w.jpg
Enchant creature, land, or planeswalker
Enchanted permanent is a colorless land with "{T}: Add {C}" and loses all other card types and abilities.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/eldritch-moon/imprisoned-in-the-moon
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $28.69
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/206855_200w.jpg
When Kroxa enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
Whenever Kroxa enters the battlefield or attacks, each opponent discards a card, then each opponent who didn't discard a nonland card this way loses 3 life.
Escape—{B}{B}{R}{R}, Exile five other cards from your graveyard. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros-beyond-death/kroxa-titan-of-deaths-hunger
Emergence Zone
Market Price: $0.33
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/187125_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{1}, {T}, Sacrifice Emergence Zone: You may cast spells this turn as though they had flash.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/war-of-the-spark/emergence-zone
Morphic Pool
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $26.32
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/166662_200w.jpg
Morphic Pool enters the battlefield tapped unless you have two or more opponents.
{T}: Add {U} or {B}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/battlebond/morphic-pool
Go for the Throat
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $1.49
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/139952_200w.jpg
Destroy target nonartifact creature.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/go-for-the-throat
Arcane Signet
Market Price: $2.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231194_200w.jpg
{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/arcane-signet
Final Fortune
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $32.91
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/2900_200w.jpg
Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/7th-edition/final-fortune
Swan Song
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $13.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/124645_200w.jpg
Counter target enchantment, instant, or sorcery spell. Its controller creates a 2/2 blue Bird creature token with flying.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2016/swan-song
Feldon of the Third Path
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.94
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196646_200w.jpg
{2}{R}, {T}: Create a token that's a copy of target creature card in your graveyard, except it's an artifact in addition to its other types. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2019/feldon-of-the-third-path
Riverglide Pathway
Color Identity:R,U
Market Price: $4.04
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/221822_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {U}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/zendikar-rising/riverglide-pathway
Glorious End
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.96
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/130226_200w.jpg
End the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack, including this card. The player whose turn it is discards down to their maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.) At the beginning of your next end step, you lose the game.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/amonkhet/glorious-end
Isochron Scepter
Market Price: $6.90
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/219247_200w.jpg
Imprint — When Isochron Scepter enters the battlefield, you may exile an instant card with converted mana cost 2 or less from your hand.
{2}, {T}: You may copy the exiled card. If you do, you may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/isochron-scepter
Flameshadow Conjuring
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $3.75
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/100097_200w.jpg
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay {R}. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that creature. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/magic-origins/flameshadow-conjuring
Command Tower
Market Price: $0.47
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231200_200w.jpg
{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/command-tower
Luxury Suite
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $23.25
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/166661_200w.jpg
Luxury Suite enters the battlefield tapped unless you have two or more opponents.
{T}: Add {B} or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/battlebond/luxury-suite
Crosis's Charm
Color Identity:B,R,U
Market Price: $1.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/139924_200w.jpg
Choose one — • Return target permanent to its owner's hand. • Destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated. • Destroy target artifact.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/crosiss-charm
Watery Grave
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $9.44
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/175205_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {U} or {B}.)
As Watery Grave enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/guilds-of-ravnica/watery-grave
Chaos Warp
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $1.96
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212487_200w.jpg
The owner of target permanent shuffles it into their library, then reveals the top card of their library. If it's a permanent card, they put it onto the battlefield.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/chaos-warp
Bedevil
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $4.16
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182230_200w.jpg
Destroy target artifact, creature, or planeswalker.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/bedevil
Purphoros, God of the Forge
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $17.41
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/71042_200w.jpg
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to red is less than five, Purphoros isn't a creature.
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Purphoros deals 2 damage to each opponent.
{2}{R}: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros/purphoros-god-of-the-forge
Araumi of the Dead Tide
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $0.18
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/226972_200w.jpg
{T}, Exile cards from your graveyard equal to the number of opponents you have: Target creature card in your graveyard gains encore until end of turn. The encore cost is equal to its mana cost. (Exile the creature card and pay its mana cost: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/araumi-of-the-dead-tide
Vampiric Tutor
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $41.74
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/226134_200w.jpg
Search your library for a card, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. You lose 2 life.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/vampiric-tutor
Maze of Ith
Market Price: $8.99
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218874_200w.jpg
{T}: Untap target attacking creature. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by that creature this turn.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/maze-of-ith
Long-Term Plans
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $3.77
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/10864_200w.jpg
Search your library for a card, shuffle your library, then put that card third from the top.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/scourge/long-term-plans
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Market Price: $25.00
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/234275_200w.jpg
Each land is a Swamp in addition to its other land types.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/time-spiral-remastered/urborg-tomb-of-yawgmoth
Mimic Vat
Market Price: $0.27
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212345_200w.jpg
Imprint — Whenever a nontoken creature dies, you may exile that card. If you do, return each other card exiled with Mimic Vat to its owner's graveyard.
{3}, {T}: Create a token that's a copy of a card exiled with Mimic Vat. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/mimic-vat
Altar of the Brood
Market Price: $4.75
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/93190_200w.jpg
Whenever another permanent enters the battlefield under your control, each opponent mills a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/khans-of-tarkir/altar-of-the-brood
Last Chance
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $98.30
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/709_200w.jpg
Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/portal/last-chance
Windfall
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $1.78
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231287_200w.jpg
Each player discards their hand, then draws cards equal to the greatest number of cards a player discarded this way.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/windfall
Sneak Attack
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $15.15
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218329_200w.jpg
{R}: You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Sacrifice the creature at the beginning of the next end step.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/sneak-attack
Phyrexian Dreadnought
Market Price: $88.36
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/5170_200w.jpg
Trample When Phyrexian Dreadnought enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice any number of creatures with total power 12 or greater.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/mirage/phyrexian-dreadnought
Infinite. A most dreaded word to hear in any pod. It signifies power plays and game-ending combos.
This deck has two infinite combos, both of which are incredibly powerful: infinite turns and infinite creatures. Let's start with infinite turns.
All we need is Obeka, Brute Chronologist, Isochron Scepter, and Final Fortune. Isochron Scepter is almost always paired with Dramatic Reversal, creating an incredibly fun untap combo. It was originally in mind for this deck, however, we weren't running enough mana rocks in order to make it worthwhile.
Instead, Final Fortune is meant to take its place. It is the only one of our extra-turn spells we can imprint on Isochron Scepter. Once imprinted, all we have to do is have mana open and Obeka, Brute Chronologist untapped to continuously make extra turns without losing the game. After that, we can draw our library one card at a time until we find our next infinite combo.
This combo is well-known in the Commander community: Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and a creature that untaps Kiki-Jiki when it enters the battlefield. Put together we can tap and untap Kiki-Jiki infinitely, making unlimited copies of either creature. The best things about these tokens? They have haste, making this a game-ending combo.
Thanks to Obeka, Brute Chronologist, these tokens aren't sacrificed at our end step. Infinite creatures, baby! But sometimes combat just isn't enough, and I like to prepare for the worst. There are times when Fog effects render combat pointless. Thankfully, we still run a couple tricks up our sleeves to achieve victory. Pairing this combo with Altar of the Brood or Purphoros, God of the Forge can be deadly without even moving to combat. Altar allows us to mill our opponents, ensuring their death on their draw steps, while Purphoros shocks everyone to a sweet, sweet 0 life total. Either way, this beautiful combo thrives thanks to the stacks-y shenanigans of Obeka.
I was initially terrified to build around Obeka, Brute Chronologist. She seemed like this impossible creature that was meant for competitive players to break rather than me, a humble, filthy casual. Building her started out a bit confusing. What is her theme? How does she win?
Then I realized Obeka is a commander that needs more than one way to win. If she was just infinite turns or infinite steal cards or infinite tokens, the brew would be fragile. However, the culmination of these themes ultimately makes Obeka a huge threat once she hits the battlefield.
Seeing commanders that interact with the phases of the game make me incredibly excited for future cards and sets. Fiddling with something as complex as the stack is an incredibly fun way to toy with the intricacies of commander game play.
Anyway… article over now. Bye-bye.
